Apparatus and method for separating capsules

ABSTRACT

AN APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SEPARATING TWO-PIECE, HARD-SHELL CAPSULES IN WHICH A CAPSULE IS PROPELLED AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED THROUGH A CHUTE UNTIL ITS TRAILING SECTION IS ABRUPTLY HALTED. MOMENTUM OF THE LEADING PIECE OF THE CAPSULE IS SUCH THAT IT CONTINUES FORWARD A DISTANCE SUFFICIENT TO PERMIT COMPLETE SEPARATION OF THE TWO-PIECE CAPSULE SECTIONS.

June 1, 1971 H. P. MGKNIGHT 3,581,377

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SEPARATING CAPSULES Filed April 25, 1969 FEEDERl6 1 l l6 |H| 23 -22 2 Fig.2 20

f 38 F. l 40 INVENTOR 8- HUGH Pm KNIGHT Ma/WM ATTORNEY United StatesPatent 01 hoe US. Cl. 29-427 15 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Anapparatus and method for separating two-piece, hard-shell capsules inwhich a capsule is propelled at a high rate of speed through a chuteuntil its trailing section is abruptly halted. Momentum of the leadingpiece of the capsule is such that it continues forward a distancesufficient to permit complete separation of the two-piece capsulesections.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Although the use of two-piece, hard-shellcapsules has been primarily directed to the pharmaceutical industry,there are a number of other industries using such capsules. In general,these capsules comprise two pieces which are telescoped together to forman enclosed container. These empty capsules are usually supplied to thevarious industries in a joined condition. In the pharmaceutical industrypowder or pellets are introduced into the capsule after the sections areseparated. The separation of these capsules would seemingly beconsidered to be an easy step inasmuch as the fit between the twocapsule sections is relatively loose. In the prior art capsules of thisgeneral description are normally separated on automatic equipmentutilizing a vacuum principle. In such apparatus a capsule is seated in abore having an annular shoulder on which the slightly larger cap sectionrests. The bore is in communication with a vacuum means which draws thebody from the cap. However, it has been found that in extremely fastautomatic capsule filling equipment a vacuum means is not one hundredpercent foolproof. Occasionally, cap and body sections are telescopedtogether to an extent whereby they are not easily separated. The amountof force that can be created by a vacuum technique is necessarilylimited. Thus, jammed capsules have been experienced and although theloss of a capsule is not normally significant, the resulting shutdown ofthe jammed capsule filling equipment can cause a substantial loss inutilization of manpower and capital equipment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The apparatus and method for separatingcapsules as disclosed in this application do not rely on a vacuumprinciple. Oriented capsules are introduced into a rotor having apassageway adapted for receiving a joined cap sule body and cap. Therotor is mounted for selective oscillation whereby its passageway maybeselectively connected to a gas supplying means. Sudden introduction ofgas into the rotor passageway containing a capsule causes the capsule tobe ejected and propelled through a capsule guide means comprising achute at a high rate of speed. The chute is positioned to direct thecapsule into a capsule holder having a shoulder for capturing the capsection. If the body section is the leading portion of the capsule, themomentum it has gained from its high rate of speed will cause it tocontinue its motion and fully separate from the cap section. Thus, theamount of force available for separating the body section from the capsection is substantially greater than the limited amount gained from avacuum technique.

3,581,377 Patented June I, 1971 It is therefore one object of thisinvention to provide a new and improved apparatus for separating capsulesections. Another object of this invention is to provide a new andunique method whereby capsule sections are readily separated. Anotherobject of this invention is to provide a means for separating capsuleswhich will increase the efiiciency and speed of automatic capsulefilling equipment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a front view of the apparatusof this invention with portions in cross section.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view in cross section of the apparatus taken atthe point where a high rate of speed is imparted on the capsule.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, capsuleseparation apparatus 11 may be considered as part of an overallautomatic capsule filling unit. Thus, the separation apparatus 11 iscoupled to a capsule feeder 12. which orients the capsules into a feedertube 14. It is noted that each capsule 15 has a cap section 16 and abody section 17. Orientation of the capsules is such that each capsuleis introduced into tube 14 with its cap section leading. Tube 1 4 isconnected to a rotor housing 19 which contains a rotor 20. This rotorhas a passageway 22 of a diameter that is slightly larger than thediameter of the cap section. A portion 23 of the rotor definingpassageway 22 has been beveled or chamfered.

A tube coupling 25 is provided on one side of rotor housing 19. Tubecoupling 25 is associated with a gas supply means. Diametricallyopposite this coupling is a capsule guide means or chute 27 whichextends through housing 19 in communication with the chamber containingrotor 20. Chute 27 comprises a relatively rigid tube of a diameterslightly larger than capsules 15. The exit end 28 of chute 27 ispositioned in close relationship with a capsule receiving device 30.Capsule receiving device 30 may be in the form of a rotary disk or aconveyor and comprises a cap section receiving portion 31 and a bodysection receiving portion 32. Extending through these receiving portionsare bores 33 of a well-known configuration adapted for receivingcapsules. Thus, the cap section receiving portion 31 of the receivingdevice, for easy entry of a cap section 16', has an enlarged opening 34which is connected to a bore 33a having a shoulder 36. Shoulder 36 is ofa diameter such that cap section 16 cannot pass therethrough. The bodysection receiving portion 32 of device 30 has a bore 33b with a lengthexceeding the length of the capsule body section 17 and a rounded end 38on which the body section is seated. A small port or vent 40communicates with the rounded end 38 and a vacuum supply means 41.

In operation, capsules upon being oriented, are fed by gravity or othermeans, into tube 14 with the cap section first entering the tube. Asingle capsule is received in rotor passageway 22. A synchronizingdevice then actuates rotor 20 in a clockwise direction for ninetydegrees whereby passageway 22 falls into communication with the gassupply means and its tube 25. The gas supply means may operate in anintermittent fashion and in synchronization with rotation of rotor 20.Thus, as. passageway 22 aligns with tube 25, the gas supply means issimultaneously actuated and a short burst of gas, such as air, oxygen ornitrogen, is introduced against the cap section as shown in FIG. 2. Thebeveled portion 23 of rotor 20 is desirable in order to prevent jammingagainst the next capsule prior to entry. Thus, as rotor 20 oscillatesninety degrees, it will tend to slightly raise the line of orientedcapsules in tube 14.

When the burst of gas hits a capsule in rotor 20 this capsule ispropelled outward into chute 27 at a high rate of speed. The capsulecontinues its fast motion until its cap section 16 slams into shoulder36 on bore 33a. However, inasmuch as no interference has yet been madewith the travel of body section 17, its momentum will cause continuedmotion until its end rests against the rounded end 38 of bore 33b. Vent40 serves to exhaust the amount of air that would otherwise becompressed as body 17 enters into bore 33b. In addition, a venting meansor a vacuum supply line 41 may be coupled to vent 40 to further assureexhaustion of air in bore 33b as well as to prevent body section 17 frombouncing upward after it has hit rounded end 38 of the bore. In such amanner momentum of body section 17 has caused it to separate from capsection 16, and thus the two capsule-receiving portions 31 and 32 may beseparated for subsequent introduction of medicament into the bodysection.

The design limits on this means for separating capsules aresubstantially wide. Thus, the amount of force applied against thecapsule in rotor 20 is not severely critical. A gas pressure of 15pounds per square inch has been found to be quite acceptable. Ingeneral, it is only necessary that a sufficient amount of gas pressurebe applied to the capsule to impart a rate of speed that will cause themomentum of the body section to separate it from the cap section withoutdamaging either the cap section as it hits shoulder 36 or the bodysection as it slams into the rounded end 38 of bore 33b.

It is to be understood that modifications of the illustrated apparatuscan be made without departing from the spirit of this invention. Thus,capsules may enter rotor 20 with the cap section trailing if rotor 20oscillates counterclockwise and beveled portion 23 is repositioned onthe opposite side of the rotor passageway 22. Rotor 20, although showingonly one passageway 22, may have a series of such passageways, with eachbeing linked to a gas supply and a chute. In addition, the internaldiameters of chute 27, passageway 22 and feeder tube 14 can be enlargedwhereby larger capsules may pass through without the need for changingparts other than the capsule receiving device 30. The force produced onthe capsule by the gas supply means can also be developed by applying ahammer element such as a leaf spring against the end of the capsule.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for separating two-piece, hard-shell capsules comprising anelement having a passageway adapted for the close reception of atwo-piece, hard-shell capsule consisting of a body section telescopedwithin a cap section,

a gas supply means and a capsule guide means with said passagewaydisposed therebetween and in selective communication with said gassupply means and a first end of said capsule guide means, and

a capsule holder having a cap section holder defining a bore juxtaposedon a body section holder defining a bore, said cap section holder boreand said body section holder bore being in communication with a secondend of said capsule guide means.

2. Capsule separating apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which saidelement passageway is in selective communication with a supply source oforiented capsules.

3. Capsule separating apparatus as defined in claim 2 in which said bodyholder bore is of a predetermined length exceeding the length of saidcapsule body.

4. Capsule separating apparatus as defined in claim 3 "in which saidelement is a rotor mounted-for selective oscillation.

5. Capsule separating apparatus as defined in claim 4 in which selectiveoscillation of said rotor effects said selective communication of saidpassageway with said gas supply means and said guide means.

6. Capsule separating apparatus as defined in claim 5 in which saidcapsule guide means comprises a substantially rigid tube.

7. Capsule separating apparatus as defined in claim 6 in which saidsupply source of oriented capsules is in selective communication withsaid rotor passageway for gravity feed of capsules thereto.

8. Capsule separating apparatus as defined in claim 7 in which saidrotor passageway has a beveled portion adjacent a capsule supply tubeconnected to said supply source of oriented capsules.

9. Capsule separating apparatus as defined in claim 8 in which a vacuummeans is connected to said cap and body holder bore.

10. A method of separating a two-piece, hard-shell capsule having a capsection and body section telescoped therein comprising the steps oforienting a capsule with its cap section pointing in a predetermineddirection,

projecting the capsule in said predetermined direction at an initialhigh velocity, and

efiecting a reduced velocity on one of said capsule sections whereby theinitial high velocity of the capsule imparts a momentum on the othersection of a magnitude effecting separation of the capsule sections fromeach other.

11. The method of separating capsule sections as defined in claim 10 inwhich said capsule is projected at an initial high velocity by a gassupply means. 12. The method of sepaarting capsule sections as definedin claim 11 in which the reduced velocity is effected on the cap sectionwith momentum being imparted on the body section.

13 The method of separating capsule sections as defined in claim 12 inwhich the projection of the body section is halted upon separating fromthe cap section.

14. The method of separating capsule sections as defined in claim 13 inwhich the gas supply means effects a sudden burst of force on saidcapsule.

15. The method of separating capsule sections as defined in claim 14 inwhich the reduced velocity on the cap section is zero and is effected byapplying a halting action on the open end of the cap section.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS THOMAS H. EAGER, Primary ExaminerUS. Cl. X.R.

